Before you go further, please be sure you are applying for membership with YOUR REAL NAME, FIRST AND LAST, or if you are signing up as an organization, publisher, or project, list the organization name here; then list the name of the contact person in the next question.
Los Angeles, CA USA
What are your main areas of interest?
Jungian Psychology, Mythology, Ecopsychology, Transpersonal Psych
If you are signing up as an Individual Member, do you have a degree in Depth Psychology?
No
Are you a licensed or clinical therapist?
No
Please share a little about yourself by way of introduction. What draws you to Depth Psychology and what are you looking for from this community?
I am applying to Pacifica Graduate Institute this coming year for their M.A./PhD in Mythological Studies /Depth Psychology program.
I suppose what initially drew me to Depth Psychology was pain - the pain of being torn out of the proverbial Matrix.
In 2003, at age 33, my life began to unravel; my "personal Camelot" I had worked so arduously to secure was eroding into shadows of uncertainty and nothingness. I was losing my marriage, my prestigious career, my beautiful home, my dream. I wanted to know what happened. I wanted to know why I was broken... why he was broken. Why my parents were broken... why his parents were broken... why society is broken... why humanity is broken...
Personal to Collective.
Micro to Macro.
Specific to General.
I began to see it was all interconnected - like a holograph of a fractal.
I wanted to know why consumerism was more important than counting stars. I wanted to know why doctors prescribed antidepressants for people who were grieving; I mean, somebody died... they're suppose to be sad, right? I wanted to know why people were dispassionate about growing tomatoes. I wanted to understand why the human species is the ONLY species that will entertain itself by creating entertainment that is directed toward violence and war, and deriving enjoyment from it.
As I asked myself these questions I noticed a theme of sorts... something I can only describe as a "vacancy factor" as seen through the eyes of so many people... its there when they drive, when they play with their kids, and when they are at work... and it doesnt go away... follows them like a shadow as they move about their days ambitiously churning the hamster wheel... lost in an abyss of transhumanistic fodder.
When traditional approaches failed to illuminate my despair, I finally turned my attention to the early esoteric teachings my Aunt had secretly passed down to me: astrology, mythology, astronomy, psi, mediumship, quantum physics,... just to name a few. At some point, my mind exploded into a fury... seeing the interconnectedness of so many things, and at the core of it... I seemingly had some sort of cathartic knowledge of Jungian theories. I remember one day I was having a long conversation with my mother in law (now my ex mother in law) who is a MFT, and has excellent background knowledge of the works of Joseph Campbell and Carl Jung. She was astonished I had never studied the concepts I was rattling off the top of my head, and urged me to apply to Pacifica and unlock this knowledge so that I can put it to good use - hence to fulfill my "Earth Mission" my life path, and destiny - in service to others.
My current analogy of what is occurring with humanity at this juncture in time... is much like what has happened to Tilikum the Orca. Tilikum is a magnificent 25,000 pound male Orca who at present is the subject of much upset and frustration. He is owned by Sea World in Florida. Over a year ago, he killed his trainer. This is the third human Tili has killed. In short, if these majestic creatures were not in captivity, this would not have happened. Because they are in captivity... they have had to mal-adapt to an artificial life in every way imaginable and beyond the unthinkable... they have no family, destructive diets, dental decay and root canals, dorsal fin failure, sunlight exposure in shallow water; no freedom to be Orcas thus killing the spirit day by day.
The indigenous people have said for some time the West has lost their way. Urban living, consumerism, war, depression, economic collapse, pollution, divorce, stress, poverty, anxiety, cancer... Are these signs of a healthy humanity? Nope.
The benefits I expect to gain from this community? Good question. I have a personal policy: I resolve to dismiss expectations. By doing so, I allow for spontaneity, thrill, uncertainty, surprise, authentic amazement, and the sudden hallelujah! I expect the unexpected... And it works for me.
Do you belong to any other online Psychology-related communities or orgs? If so, which?
No
If you have a Twitter, Facebook, Blog, or LinkedIn account and would like to have people "follow" you, list it here
http://www.facebook.com/DaneDame
Comments
Hi Christie. Welcome, and I'm glad you've found the online depth community. Thank you so much for sharing your story! The power of narrative is remarkable and just reading your experience and ideas creates such emotion for me.
As you know, the Alliance is a dynamic and growing group of people who understand the power of connecting around critical topics and the fact that we are a global community allows us to meet and learn from others in a multitude of ways.
The Jung and Crop Circles just started so join and you can help create the discussion! It's a passion of mine as well. Meanwhile, I think you'll find much to engage with as you begin to browse the vast content and start interacting with others. I encourage you to jump in right away and get your feet wet by simply sharing a link or article that has meaning for you or perhaps by commenting on others' posts, asking a question, or sharing some of your own thoughts or work.
In case you need detailed help navigating the site, please use the following link-- http://www.depthpsychologyalliance.com/page/navigating-the-site --and please don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions at all! I look forward to seeing you around the community~Bonnie Bright, Founder
Welcome Christie,
You certainly went through a dark night of the soul, much as I believe the Western world is going through regardless of my more materialistic, scientific, technological friends' optimistic view. Rather reminds me of the vain optimism prior to the last world wars. Anyway, I was recently in a depressed state and turned to the I Ching and the Tarot and got back into the invisible flow. There are many blogs, forums, and groups in the Alliance that may catch your imagination. I look forward to your posts.
Ed